Includes bibliographical references (pages 469-477) and index.
Contents
Pt I : The Matriarchy -- 1. Was the Primitive Sex Taboo an "Incest" Taboo? -- 2. Taboo Against Cannibalism -- 3. Female Biology and the Double Taboo -- 4. The Maternal Clan and Sex Segregation -- 5. The Productive Record of Primitive Women -- 6. Women and Men in the Matriarchal Commune.
Pt II : The Fratriarchy -- 7. Forging Fratrilineal Kinship -- 8. From Primal Horde to Tribe -- 9. The Interchange System -- 10. The Beginnings of Marriage.
Pt III : The Patriarchy -- 11. The Matrilineal Family -- 12. The Matrifamily : A Divided Family -- 13. "Blood Price" and the Father-Family -- 14. "Bride Price" and the Father-Family -- 15. Facts and Fallacies About Incest -- 16. The Father-Family in Greek Tragedy.
Summary
The matriarchy is one of the most hotly contested issues between contending schools in anthropology. This book affirms that the maternal clan system was the original form of social organization and explains why. It also traces its development and the causes of its downfall.
